The books that are most popular?

[Ninja_Grand]

Can some one tell me the most common books used on GITP? And maybe the translation to there "texting" nickname? (like how the player hand book is PHB.)

[BillyBobJoe]

A lot of people like Tome of Battle (ToB) for making melee relevant, and Spell Compendium (SpC) has a lot of nice goodies for casters.

[Crasical]

Moooooost popular? Uh.

http://www.d20srd.org/ isn't really a book, but gets a lot of use.

I guess that would be the Players Handbook I & II, the Complete series (Complete Adventurer, Complete Arcane, Complete Divine,Complete Psionic, Complete Warrior, Complete Mage, Complete Scoundrel, and Complete Champion), for me at least.

[Knaight]

Expanded Psionics Handbook: XPH
Book of Exalted Deeds: BoED
Book of Vile Darkness: BoVD
Magic of Incarnum: MoI

The XPH and MoI actually see heavy use, the BoED and BoVD tend to show up in alignment debates.

[mootoall]

Magic Item Compendium (MiC) has a little something for everyone.

But strictly speaking, PHB/DMG/MM have to be the most popular, i.e. the ones that the most people have bought.

[Crasical]

A lot of people like Tome of Battle (ToB) for making melee relevant, and Spell Compendium (SpC) has a lot of nice goodies for casters.


The XPH and MoI actually see heavy use, the BoED and BoVD tend to show up in alignment debates.

Showing how subjective a question of 'Most popular' is, I don't really like the Tome of Battle, and don't own the Magic of Incarnum book at all.

[tyckspoon]

In whole, Tome of Battle (ToB, sometimes also Bo9S for its sub-title), Spell Compendium (SpC) and Magic Item Compendium (MiC) get the most use. Most other books have one or two highly noteworthy elements and then a lot of stuff that nobody ever bothers with (at least, not when they're asking us how to optimize something- the best options are pretty well understood) so it's hard for me to say the book they come from is popular in itself. Complete Champion, maybe; there's a lot of stuff for all kinds of characters in there once you get past the Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian.

[Knaight]

Showing how subjective a question of 'Most popular' is, I don't really like the Tome of Battle, and don't own the Magic of Incarnum book at all.

Most popular is not subjective. The book which has the most people that like it is the most popular. Which book is best is very much subjective.

[Crasical]

Most popular is not subjective. The book which has the most people that like it is the most popular. Which book is best is very much subjective.

You are correct. But we're just stating our opinions on what book we think is most popular instead of running a poll for data on it, so...

[Knaight]

You are correct. But we're just stating our opinions on what book we think is most popular instead of running a poll for data on it, so...

Sure, but that just means we are making educated guesses, not that popularity is subjective.

[Crasical]

Sure, but that just means we are making educated guesses, not that popularity is subjective.

Popularity is not subjective, but I would go ahead and wager that the educated guesses are...

Edit: Let's not derail this thread any longer though

[Zherog]

My guess, based on what I see is that Tome of Battle, Spell Compendium, and Magic Item Compendium are all very popular. Not sure if they're most popular, but they're definitely popular.

[LaughingRogue]

Core Rule Books, Phb II , ToB, Complete Series, Races Series, Heroes Series.

Edit:: Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium.

[BillyBobJoe]

Core Rule Books, Phb II , ToB, Complete Series, Races Series, Heroes Series.

That's like... 90 percent of the books.

[LaughingRogue]

That's like... 90 percent of the books.

oh I forgot AND the "Scape" series.

[Tvtyrant]

That's like... 90 percent of the books.

Not really; maybe half of generic and far less than that counting campaigns. I think there are like 26 that are neither in those listed or are campaign specific.

[Ninja_Grand]

Thanks everyone! Now I have some studying to do in thease books!

[NNescio]

oh I forgot AND the "Scape" series.

Also known as the "It's X y-side" series.

[Eldariel]

That's like... 90 percent of the books.

Hardly. List of official WoTC products for 3.X:
An Anauroch: The Empire of Shade
AE Arms and Equipment Guide
BFK Barrow of the Forgotten King
BB Bastion of Broken Souls
BC Book of Challenges: Dungeon Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps
BE Book of Exalted Deeds
BV Book of Vile Darkness
CR Champions of Ruin
CV Champions of Valor
CiP City of Peril
CSW City of Splendors: Waterdeep
CSQ City of the Spider Queen
Ci Cityscape
CAd Complete Adventurer
CAr Complete Arcane
CC Complete Champion
CD Complete Divine
CM Complete Mage
CP Complete Psionic
CS Complete Scoundrel
CW Complete Warrior
Co Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave
DG D&D Gazetteer
DH Deep Horizon
DF Defenders of the Faith: A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins
DD Deities and Demigods
Dr Draconomicon
DM Dragon Magic
DCS Dragonlance Campaign Setting
Dra Dragonmarked
DE Dragons of Eberron
DrF Dragons of Faerûn
DrU Drow of the Underdark
DMG Dungeon Master's Guide v.3.5
DMG2 Dungeon Master's Guide II
Du Dungeonscape
ECS Eberron Campaign Setting
ElE Elder Evils
EA Enemies and Allies
EL Epic Level Handbook
EE Exemplars of Evil
XPH Expanded Psionics Handbook
Rav Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
EDP Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
ERG Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk
EU Expedition to Undermountain
EH Explorer's Handbook
ELQ Eyes of the Lich Queen
FP Faiths & Pantheons
FE Faiths of Eberron
FLFD Fantastic Locations: Fane of the Drow
FLFR Fantastic Locations: Fields of Ruin
FLHP Fantastic Locations: Hellspike Prison
FF Fiend Folio
FCI Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss
FCI Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells
Fo Forge of Fury, The
FW Forge of War, The
FRCS Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
FY Fortress of the Yuan-Ti
Fr Frostburn
Gh Ghostwalk
GHR Grand History of the Realms
GC Grasp of the Emerald Claw
HN Heart of Nightfang Spire
HBG Hero Builder's Guidebook
HB Heroes of Battle
HH Heroes of Horror
LM Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead
LG Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
LF Lord of the Iron Fortress
LD Lords of Darkness
LoM Lords of Madness
LE Lost Empires of Faerûn
MIC Magic Item Compendium
MoE Magic of Eberron
Mag Magic of Faerûn
MoI Magic of Incarnum
MP Manual of the Planes
MW Masters of the Wild: A Guidebook to Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers
MH Miniatures Handbook
Mon Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn
MM5 Monster Manual V
MM4 Monster Manual IV
MM3 Monster Manual III
MM2 Monster Manual II
MM Monster Manual v.3.5
Mys Mysteries of the Moonsea
OA Oriental Adventures
PlH Planar Handbook
PE Player's Guide to Eberron
PG Player's Guide to Faerûn
PH Player's Handbook v.3.5
PH2 Player's Handbook II
PF Power of Faerûn
RD Races of Destiny
RE Races of Eberron
Rac Races of Faerûn
RS Races of Stone
RDr Races of the Dragon
RW Races of the Wild
RH Red Hand of Doom
RT Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil
RC Rules Compendium
Sa Sandstorm
SS Savage Species
SoS Secrets of Sarlona
SX Secrets of Xen'drik
SK Serpent Kingdoms
SSL Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land
SL Shadows of the Last War
Sh Sharn: City of Towers
ShG The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde
ShS Shining South
SM Silver Marches
SiS Sinister Spire, The
SaS Song and Silence: A Guidebook to Bards and Rogues
SG Sons of Gruumsh
SD Speaker in Dreams, The
StS Standing Stone, The
Sto Stormwrack
SB Stronghold Builder's Guidebook
SC Sunless Citadel, The
SF Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to Monks and Fighters
TB Tome and Blood: A Guidebook to Wizards and Sorcerers
ToB Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords
TM Tome of Magic
Una Unapproachable East
Und Underdark
UA Unearthed Arcana
VGD Voyage of the Golden Dragon
WB Whispers of the Vampire's Blade

Core, Completes, Races, Heroes & ToB is maybe 10%.

[Psyren]

Also known as the "It's X y-side" series.

I also like to call them "Places of" to contrast with "Races of"

For the abbreviations: WotC has a Product Key (e.g at the bottom of the PrC page) but in a rather d!ck move they mix in defunct 3.0 material to hopefully confuse shoppers. Use the "Common abbreviations" thread stickied in this forum instead.

[Eldariel]

I also like to call them "Places of" to contrast with "Races of"

For the abbreviations: WotC has a Product Key (e.g at the bottom of the PrC page) but in a rather d!ck move they mix in defunct 3.0 material to hopefully confuse shoppers. Use the "Common abbreviations" thread stickied in this forum instead.

3.0 material is perfectly compatible with 3.5; need to rework few skills, DR and few spell effects and that's it. Some of the better 3.X PRCs especially for martial types are from 3.0 without reprints.

[Groverfield]

Unearthed Arcana (UA) gets a ton of love and mention around these parts, but it's basically a book for variant rules. I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet.

[Psyren]

3.0 material is perfectly compatible with 3.5; need to rework few skills, DR and few spell effects and that's it. Some of the better 3.X PRCs especially for martial types are from 3.0 without reprints.

It is, except for the stuff that got updated - and they make no effort to distinguish what has been and what hasn't. For instance, Tome and Blood is in that same Product Key I mentioned, and in that book, the Orb spells are Evocation, but you're not supposed to use them.

I will give them credit for not stuffing the Psionics Handbook in there though, at least they realized how crappy it was.


Unearthed Arcana (UA) gets a ton of love and mention around these parts, but it's basically a book for variant rules. I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet.

Everytime someone mentions the SRD they're implicitly mentioning UA :smalltongue: There are a few choice bits that aren't OGL though, like fractional BAB/saves.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Core Rule Books, Phb II , ToB, Complete Series, Races Series, Heroes Series.

Edit:: Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium.

There are only two Heroes books, and Heroes of Battle isn't popular, though War Weaver's been mentioned a couple times. Complete Psionic is noted as bad except for Ardent and maybe a couple other things.

Dungeonscape (Its Dark Inside) is popular, since Factotum and Dungeoncrasher Fighter are mentioned a lot. Don't know about the other "It's X Outside" books, though Cityscape (It's Bright Outside) is sometimes mentioned.

[Knaight]

Dungeonscape (Its Dark Inside) is popular, since Factotum and Dungeoncrasher Fighter are mentioned a lot. Don't know about the other "It's X Outside" books, though Cityscape (It's Bright Outside) is sometimes mentioned.

Huh. Normally Dungeonscape is referred to as Its Not Outside, which also is used for Cityscape. Leading to Its Wet Outside, Its Cold Outside, Its Hot Outside, Its Not Outside for the set, which is easy to remember.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Huh. Normally Dungeonscape is referred to as Its Not Outside, which also is used for Cityscape. Leading to Its Wet Outside, Its Cold Outside, Its Hot Outside, Its Not Outside for the set, which is easy to remember.

Well, I don't have much knowledge on "It's X Inside", because people always just use the book's full name.

[Psyren]

It'd be less confusing to have different monikers for Cityscape and Dungeonscape. It's Not Outside fits Dungeonscape better (few dungeons have outdoor areas) so It's Not Inside is probably good for Cityscape.

[Optimator]

PHB2, ToB, ToM, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Unearthed Arcana, the 'Complete' series, the environmental books, Heroes of Horror, Eberron Campaign Setting, Player's Guide to Faerun, Spell and Magic Item Compendium, the 'Races of' books...

Most of the books get a lot of talk on forums (you know, internet).

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Also known as the "It's X y-side" series.


I also like to call them "Places of" to contrast with "Races of"

See, I actually prefer them as being 'scapes, simply because of the word landscape, even if the only two names with "scape" in them are "It's not outside!" and "It is inside!" which doesn't really tell you if it is Dungeonscape or Cityscape.:smallwink:


That being said, I'm a big fan of Magic of Incarnum (MoI), Tome of Magic (ToM), Spell Compendium (SpC), and the often dividing Tome of Battle (ToB).

[Treblain]

It's been mentioned by other posters, but I figure we should leave a link for convenience for the book abbreviations.

Common Abbreviations (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18512)

[Wings of Peace]

Scroll to the bottom of this and read the product keys for shorthand names. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/feats)

[Gullintanni]

Books that are most popular? Probably Core + Completes.

Tome of Battle (ToB) and Expanded Psionics Handbook (XPH) are probably right up there, along with Magic Item Compendium (MiC) and Spell Compendium (SpC).

After that, it's probably the Races series of books.

Personally, I don't think Frostburn and Sandstorm get enough love though. Good reads and almost essential if you plan to run a winter/desert campaign.

[hamishspence]

See, I actually prefer them as being 'scapes, simply because of the word landscape, even if the only two names with "scape" in them are "It's not outside!" and "It is inside!" which doesn't really tell you if it is Dungeonscape or Cityscape.:smallwink:

I go with "It's Crowded Outside" for Cityscape and "It's Not Outside" for Dungeonscape.

Of books I'm likely to read just for fun, Fiendish Codex 1 and Fiendish Codex 2 are pretty high on the list.

[Zherog]

Everytime someone mentions the SRD they're implicitly mentioning UA

Nitpicky rant... ignore if you don't care about the ramblings of an old man...

Unearthed Arcana is not part of the SRD. The SRD is a series of RTF files released by WotC that contain the material 3rd party publishers are allowed to use. One of those 3rd party publishers -- d20srd.org -- took the material and put it up on the web, something totally legit to do under the terms of the license. They also went and put other Open Game Content from WotC up on the site, including the handful of monsters from MM2 that are OGC and the material from UA that was designated as OGC.


There are a few choice bits that aren't OGL though, like fractional BAB/saves.

A much more minor nitpick... something is OGC (open game content) not OGL. OGL stands for Open Game License - it's the legal document that allows 3rd party material.

Also, pretty sure fractional BAB/Saves is OGC; it's just not posted on d20srd.org. It's been a while since I've looked specifically at the OGC declaration for UA, but I seem to recall that there was very little that wasn't open - and most of that was Bloodlines related to monsters not in the SRD, such as yuan-ti.

[noparlpf]

I mostly use PHB I and II, DMG I, MM I, Arms & Equipment Guide, the Complete series (Adventurer, Arcane, Champion, Divine, Mage, Scoundrel, Warrior), Dragon Magazines, Magic Item Compendium, Miniatures Handbook, the Races books (Destiny, Eberron, Stone, Dragon, Wild), Spell Compendium, and Unearthed Arcana.

Of course, I look into other books occasionally, but the ones I usually turn to are those ones.